25 / 60
5
The Zanemvula Mega project
The aim of African cities
T
his forms part of the informal
Settlement Upgrading and
Human Settlement Project in
the NelsonMandela BayMunicipality.
The project consists mainly of
the replanning, upgrading and im-
provement of Soweto-on-Sea and
Veeplaas.
The greenfields projects of Chatty
Extensions and Joe Slovo West will
yield 20 000 fully subsidised hous-
ing units over a 15 year period. To
date 8 071 units have been delivered
across the various projects since
2006.
The project is being facilitated by
the National Department of Human
Settlements, the Provincial Depart-
ment of Human Settlements has
made funds available, approved the
The Housing Development Agency has been appointed as the
Implementing Agent for the Eastern Cape Department of Human
Settlements Zanemvula Mega Project.
project, provided an inspectorate,
monitoring the progress and enroll-
ing the projects with NHBRC.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Munici-
pality as the land owner is respon-
sible for identifying town andprecinct
planning, beneficiary identification,
bulk infrastructure, funding and
amenities.
The Housing Development Agency
is the implementing agent and proj-
ect manager.
Chatty 1060 Human Settle-
ment project is a component of
the Zanemvula Mega Project and
consists of 1 060 residential units.
It is situated 25 km from the Port
Elizabeth CBD, between Uitenhage
and Port Elizabeth. The project will
house 4 250 people who were previ-
ously residing in the floodplains of
Soweto-on-Sea and Veeplaas.
The 40 m² units comprise of two
bedrooms, open lounge and kitchen,
plastered and painted internally and
externally, gutters and rainwater col-
lector. The project has incorporated
eight SMME contractors and allocated
contracts to five women and four
youth contractors.
■
D
r Taibat Lawanson, the De-
partment of Urban and Re-
gional Planning, University of
Lagos, Nigeria shared his presenta-
tion, ‘Towards and inclusive African
Urban Development Trajectory’
to create the Africa we want…and
aspire to.
Addressing delegates at the in-
augural National Department of
Human Settlements Conference,
Lawanson honed in on the United
Nations Habitat Urban Agenda the
vision is of cities for all, referring to
the equal use and enjoyment of cities
and human settlements, seeking to
promote inclusivity and ensure that
all inhabitants, of present and future
generations, without discrimination
of any kind, are able to inhabit and
produce safe, healthy, accessible,
affordable, resilient sustainable cit-
ies and human settlements, to foster
prosperity and quality of life for all.
Lawanson says that African cities
should be centres of dignity, oppor-
tunity and innovation, wellbeing and
prosperity. He says that people want
a hand up and not a hand out.
He addresses howwe canmove Af-
ricanHuman Settlements toward this
preferred vision. Lawanson suggests:
Recognise and harness local customs
and processes for development such
as communities of trust, social net-
works, Ubuntu etc. Empower local
residents with skills and opportuni-
ties to better their lives and environ-
ments. Strengthen local knowledge
institutions, revise curricular and
reform praxis to reflect contempo-
rary realities and problem solving
mindsets. Co-production of urban
knowledge with citizen participation
at all levels of urban decisionmaking
and implementation. Simplify bu-
reaucratic processes regarding land
and planning
administration.Em-power local authorities to fulfill their
mandates. Encourage the growth of
local enterprises, innovative practices
and the creative industry. Develop
and integrated planning and sustain-
able development framework that
localises Agenda 2063, SDGs, Habitat
Agenda and African Urban Agenda
to actionable goals and timelines.
■